The Lady Vols are in the midst of one of the toughest portions of the conference schedule.
After a loss in its first conference road outing against Oklahoma, Tennessee is looking to mute any chances of a losing streak as the road trip continues to Oxford for a date with Ole Miss.
Head coach Eve Rackham Watt’s group has shown some signs of struggle this season in opposing arenas, with three of the team’s four losses coming from the Food City Center. The Lady Vols will need some of their younger faces to rise to the occasion in order to pick up an always-coveted victory behind enemy lines.
Keys for Tennessee
The Lady Vols have been spoiling the team with the scoring talents of graduate transfer Nina Cajic, the consistency of redshirt sophomore setter Caroline Kerr and the powerful inside presence of veteran Keondreya Granberry.
While these three are perfectly capable of carrying Tennessee to a number of wins throughout the year, it feels like it is time for the emergence of some newer names to work their way into the spotlight to relieve some of the pressure off of the stars.
Keep an eye out for freshman Paityn Chapman to play a big factor after a hot start to her season. The outside hitter has already racked up six double-digit kill matches and has shown a tendency to take over when the ball is set in her direction.
Redshirt freshman Eryn Jones has been gradually picking up steam in her last handful of outings, including notching her first career double-double in a win against Western Michigan. The TCU transfer has shown particular affinity on defense and has been a trusted asset for Rackham Watt in many of the contested matches Tennessee has been a part of.
What to watch for Ole Miss
The Rebels enter the match after dropping their SEC opener to Arkansas in consecutive sets but have yet to fall on their home court.
On the offensive side, Nia Washington paces her squad in the kill department while senior middle blocker Payton Brgoch has been an efficient source of attack all year long.
Brgoch will likely be the main focus for Tennessee and an effort will surely be made to keep the Parker, Colorado, native off of the scoresheet. A solid 12 blocks and season .396 hit percentage make her the Rebels’ biggest all-around threat.
Regaining their groove
In what could likely be another tight matchup, Tennessee will have to play clean and smart to spoil the conference home opener for Ole Miss.
To settle into SEC play as soon as possible, a big road win would be just the right ingredient to instill some more confidence into the Lady Vols. Especially for the younger players, having the mindset it takes to walk into an unfamiliar environment and play unfazed is a trait that will come with time.
Every match is a learning opportunity, but it’s especially sweeter when it ends with another tally to the win column.
